Portuguese Baked Eggs

These Portuguese baked eggs are bursting with sweet capsicums, tomatoes, aromatic spices and fresh herbs. The soft egg yolks are begging to be sopped up with butter drenched kalamata sourdough and shared, family style at the table with your family.

If there’s one thing that can make me a happy little chappy after a night of absolutely no sleep, following several nights of absolutely no sleep, it’s a big brunch, preferably including eggs.

I be a brunch girl through and through. Although technically I am not a girl – I can’t bring myself to refer to myself as a woman. It makes me sound so… old.

Although I love having someone cook my brunch for me, sometimes it’s just as nice to make it yourself. With the right ingredients and time, you can make cafe quality food at home pretty easily. I usually make myself a hot coffee, put on some weekend vibe playlist and get stuck into it. I prefer weekend cooking because it’s not a rush job, aside from my husband’s rumbling tummy and his constant lurking, I can take my time which is nice for a change.

Baked eggs are one of those things that i’ve made dozens of times but neverand I mean never managed to get right. They usually come out raw or so dry I have to throw them out.

You basically have to master one thing.

Keep the yolk soft. The soft yolk is the key factor.

When you scoop it into your mouth with toasted and butter-drenched bread, you’ll know you’ve created something special.

This comes down to oven temperature and timing. Did I mention TIMING?

For this recipe (which I made 4 times), I found the perfect temperature was 175°C and the oven-time required was 20 minutes. This may vary slightly depending on your oven so just keep a good watch. Pull them out when the whites have set but the yolk is still very soft. They will continue to cook in the pan even after you take them out of the oven.

Now for this recipe. I love including as many veggies into breakfast and Portuguese baked eggs is a great way to do it. Sweet red capsicums, acidic tomatoes and loads of fresh herbs makes this breakfast a really healthy and delicious way to start the day.

I’ve served mine with buttered fresh kalamata sourdough, radishes and hot coffee. Served at the table to share, family style, it’s a brunch that’s tasty and fun. I hope you enjoy it on a weekend where you have nothing to do but cook and spend time with loved ones.

Don’t forget to hashtag #cookwiththemacadames when making my recipes. I love to see how you went and get a peek at your kitchen table.

What you need:

Cast iron skillet (oven safe) (if you don’t have one, you’ll need something to bake the eggs in, I used a tagine)

Large deep set fry pan

Ingredients (serves 2-4):

¼ cup olive oil

3 red capsicums, stem and seeds removed, thinly sliced

1 large brown onion, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced

10 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon smoked or ‘regular’ paprika

2 whole jalapeno peppers, washed and pierced several times with a sharp knife

1 400g tin diced tomatoes

1 400g tin whole tomatoes in juice

1 tablespoon raw sugar

4 stems fresh basil, leaves torn off, plus extra for garnish

4 stems fresh oregano, leaves torn off, plus extra for garnish

6 large eggs

¾ cup ricotta cheese

1/2 cup vintage cheddar (Gruyere will work too)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

To serve: olive sourdough, radishes, fresh fruit

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 175°C.

2. Heat the olive oil in the cast iron frypan over medium low heat. Add the capsicum, onions and a good pinch of salt and stir to evenly coat. Cook the onions and peppers gently for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the onions are semi-translucent and the capsicums are starting to soften.

3. Add the garlic cloves, red pepper, chilli powder, and paprika and stir, cooking for about 1 minute. Add the jalapeno peppers, diced tomatoes, and the juice from the whole tomatoes.

4. Use your hands to crush and pull apart the whole tomatoes over the pan, one at a time. Add the sugar and stir well. Add in the fresh basil and oregano, press them into the sauce with a spoon, and bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat. Allow the sauce to gently simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until it has thickened and the vegetables are all very soft. Taste test the sauce and adjust with sea salt and black pepper as needed.

5. If you do not have an oven safe cast iron frypan, this is the time to transfer the sauce to your baking dish. Remove the jalepeno first.

6. Use the back of a wooden spoon to make 6 indentations in your sauce. Into each indentation, dollop 2 tablespoons of ricotta cheese, pressing those into the indentation, too. On top of each ricotta nest, crack one egg. Repeat until you’ve cracked 6 eggs. Sprinkle with Cheddar and Parmesan evenly over the top and pop the pan into the preheated oven.

7. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the sauce is very bubbly, the egg whites are set and yolks are soft. Remove the pan from the oven and garnish with additional fresh basil and oregano leaves.

8. To serve: Serve the baked eggs share with a plate of olive sourdough toast, fresh radishes and kalamata olives.